Explain how the main components of the Earth system (atmosphere,
oceans, biosphere and solid earth) influence each other, and give examples.
Explain the distinction between a one-way coupling and a feedback and
the distinction between a positive and a negative feedback.
Be able to figure out whether a feedback loop is positive or negative.
Explain how positive or negative feedbacks influence the stability of a system.
Name and explain at least one major feedback loop influencing Earth's climate.
Explain how, and under what conditions the daisies acted to keep the
temperature of Daisyworld within a range that was conducive for them
to survive.
Radiation and the greenhouse effect
Be able to name the key factors influencing a planet's effective radiating
temperature, and know how they relate qualitatively (e.g., if the albedo
goes up, then the effective radiating temperature of the planet goes
____).
Compare the distances from the sun, the albedoes, and the effective
radiating temperatures of Earth, Mars and Venus.
Understand quantitatively the inverse square law: if a planet is twice
(or
half) as far from the sun as is Earth, its solar flux is __ times as
much.
Explain how the angle of the sun in the sky affects that amount of
solar radiation incident on a horizontal surface
Understand quantitatively Wien's law: if a planet is twice (or half)
as hot as the Earth, it emits most of its radiation at a wavelength
__ times as long as the earth does.
Understand quantitatively The Stefan Boltzmann law: if a planet is twice
(or
half) as hot as the Earth, it emits __ times as much radiation as the
earth does.
Be able to describe the greenhouse effect and distinguish it from
human induced global warming.
Be able to name the most important greenhouse gases
Be able to name the major gaseous constituents of the earth's atmosphere
Explain why summers are warm and winters are cold
Convection in the atmosphere
Explain how we know that convection transports energy upward
Explain how convection transports energy upward
Explain how the hydrologic cycle serves to transport energy upward
Explain how convection limits the lapse rate observed in the
atmosphere to a maximum of 9.8 C per km
Explain why air expands as it rises
Explain why condensation occurs in rising air, rather than in sinking air?
Explain how the release of latent heat in clouds makes in possible
for convective plumes to rise higher than they would be able to if
the atmosphere were dry and had the same lapse rate as the observed
atmosphere.
What is a temperature inversion. Under what conditions do inversions occur.
Be able to describe how temperature varies with height in the earth's
atmosphere and be able to distinguish between troposphere and stratosphere
Atmospheric and oceanic circulation
Understand why radiation provides a surplus of energy in the tropics
and a deficit in the polar regions.
Explain how motions in the atmosphere transport energy pole ward, and
describe the two kinds of motions involved (the Hadley cell and
migrating cyclones at higher latitudes).
Describe the major atmospheric circulation features such as the trade
winds,
the ITCZ, the subtropical anticyclones, the mid latitude surface westerlies,
the monsoons, and the storm tracks and relate them to climate in various
parts
of the world.
Describing and interpreting climate
Explain the distinction between weather and climate.
Give some examples of climate statistics (winter and summer mean
temperature, mean annual rainfall, the lowest temperature on record...)
Explain why, around latitudes of 20-40 degrees, the western sides of
continents tend to be drier than the eastern sides, especially during
Summer.
Explain why cities located in the interior of continents have harsher
climates,
with larger Winter Summer temperature contrasts, than coastal cities.
Explain why polar regions experience much larger Winter Summer
temperature contrasts than tropical regions.
Describe how mountains influence climate and give examples.
Explain how the slope of the terrain (whether it faces north or south)
affects
daytime temperatures and vegetation